The Georgia Fire Sprinkler Association, along with the Insurance and Safety Fire Commissioners, showed just how effective sprinklers are against fires in a demonstration Wednesday at the Georgia Public Safety Training Center.
Two identical rooms were set up with only one having a sprinkler system installed.
The room without a sprinkler engulfed in flames and black smoke, with the internal temperature measuring over a 1000 degrees in one minute.
When you factor in the response time of fire departments, Georgia State Fire Marshal Dwayne Garriss said the damage is disastrous.
That particular room experienced what is called a "flash-over." According to Garris, it is when everything in the room burst into flames.
But the room with sprinklers mostly survived the fire.
"You could probably do a clean-up, mop-up on the left and still have a home to come to," Garriss said. "And then again on the right, you would be rebuilding and dealing with problems in that aspect."
The sprinkler activated within 26-46 seconds, with 10-20 gallons of water being dispensed per minute, Garriss said.
Garriss also said the sprinklers are heat activated, from 135-155 degrees Fahrenheit depending on the sprinkler head.
"They do not activate with smoke, they do not activate with somebody burning popcorn in the microwave and things like that," Garriss said. "They will activate with heat."
The Georgia Fire Sprinkler Association said sprinklers cost around $3 to $5 per square foot in the home. Sprinklers are usually placed around 18 feet apart.
But Garriss said the effort comes in on all fronts for fire safety, from smoke alarms to evacuation plans.
"Home evacuation plans, escape plans, practice those plans, make it second nature," Garriss said. "That's why we teach our kids that in school."
PHOTOS: Fire demonstration at Georgia Public Safety Training Center
Garriss said sprinkler systems are becoming more common in commercial buildings and multi-family dwellings. But when it comes to homes, it's a little more difficult.
According to Garriss, even though there is a national code to have sprinklers installed in homes, Georgia state legislature says they cannot mandate those in one or two family dwellings.
"Our legislative body has basically said that the state cannot adopt a code that mandates that into a one or two family dwelling," Garriss said. "We are just trying to, in that case, educate people about the benefits of fire sprinklers."
Garriss said firefighters will still respond even if you have a fire sprinkler system, just to make sure the fire is out.
"This technology that's out there can save lives, can save firefighters' lives, can slow down response emergencies," Garriss said.